musicfandomcom-20200222-history
Dennis Lewin
| death_date = | origin = Cleveland, Ohio | instrument = Piano | genre = Rock, Classical | occupation = Songwriter, Musician | associated_acts = Beau Coup }} Dennis Lewin (born August 15, 1959, Cleveland, Ohio) is an American songwriter and musician best known for his work with the 1980s rock band "Beau Coup" writing and producing the album Born and Raised on Rock and Roll and is a classical talk show host on WCLV,http://www.ideastream.org/wclv/entry/53967/%20WCLV%20104.9%20FM WXGRhttp://www.wxgrfm.org/site/programs/lewin/13 and Radio Arts Indonesia. Biography Dennis Lewin, born to Ellis Lewinhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyLdFjn4m3I%20Ellis and Joan Lewin is the middle child of three siblings including Ricky and Debi. He started piano at the age of 4 under the teaching of his grandfather, concert pianist Joseph Lewin Betz, Lindsay, Sun News, Music is a family affair for the Lewins, June 17, 2010 at 12:49 PM who along with Lewin's father survived the Holocaust, including Auschwitz and Dachau concentration camps. At age 6, Lewin began studying classical piano with Margaret Heller, an alumni teacher from The Cleveland Institute of Music. After Heller’s retirement 4 years later, Lewin auditioned for concert pianist and teacher Dr. Andrius Kuprevičius at The Cleveland Music School Settlement. He remained with Dr. Kuprevicious for 9 years. When Kuprevicious became the head of the piano department at Cleveland State University, Lewin followed and also majored in musical theory with Dr Heywood Alexander. In 1983 Lewin joined the local group Jonah Koslen and the Heroes, that released the album Aces.Jonah Koslen and the Heroes After Jonah Koslen and the Heroes disbanded, Lewin teamed up with singers Frank Amato and Tommy Amato and bassist Bill March to put together the Cleveland band, Beau Coup.Beau Coup Official Website At the age of 24 Lewin signed his first recording contract with Scotti Brothers Records / CBS Records for the debut album Beau Coup Dennis Lewin Interviews for which he wrote all songs and lyrics. Two years later after struggling with the record label, Lewin and Beau Coup produced their album with Amherst / A&M Records.http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=3438259 After the band officially disbanded in the 1990s, Lewin went on to open his own piano studio which is still operating in Beachwood, Ohio. Aside from being characters in 2 books by author Les Roberts titled “Indian Sign” and “The Best Kept Secret” Les Roberts and appearing in the book “Flashbacks to Happiness": "Eighties Music Revisited” by Randolph Michaels (ISBN 978-0595370078) and the book “Rock & Roll and the Cleveland Connection” by Deanna Adams (ISBN 978-0873386913), Lewin released a solo piano CD called “Crossing Chagrin” which contains the music of J.S. Bach, Scarlatti, Debussy, Satie, Andrew Lloyd Weber and others.http://www.dennislewinmusic.com/CrossingChagrin.htm Lewin also is credited for the music on the soundtrack to the independent film “Filmic Achievement”http://ikipomovie.blogspot.com/2013/06/fast-download-filmic-achievement-bdrip.html written and directed by Kevin Kerwin. The film won “Best Director” at The Stratford-Upon-Avon International Film Festival and “Best Feature Film” at The Nolita Film Festival in New York City. “Filmic Achievement” was also featured in 12 other international film festivals including The Cleveland International Film Festival. In addition to performing with bands, teaching, writing music, and hosting his radio programs, Lewin is a solo pianist and performs regularly in the greater Cleveland area and northeastern Ohio, sometimes with his sister the vocalist Debi Lewin. Lewin also donates his time as a regular pianist for 11:00 A.M. WTAM's "Mike Trivisonno's" "Coats for Kid's Concert" WTAM Coats for Kids Since that initial campaign, more than $3.25 million has been raised for the poor children of Northeastern Ohio over the last several years.http://www.wtam.com/pages/coatsforkids/ Beau Coup Band Beau Coup began in the early 1980s when Tommy Amato was recording demos at Agency Recording Studio upstairs of The Cleveland Agora with drummer, Eric Singer (Black Sabbath, Kiss) and Mike McGuill guitars. Amato asked friend, keyboardist and songwriter Lewin, then of Jonah Koslen and the Heroes, if he would come upstairs and listen to what they were doing while Lewin was playing a "Monday Night Out" at the Cleveland Agora with Koslen. After liking what he heard, Lewin wrote a batch of songs at that point, including "Still In My Heart" and "Somewhere Out in the Night". With help from Henry LoConti, Sr., Henry LoConti, Jr. and the "Agora Record Label", Beau Coup put together an EP of 5 songs and released "Still In My Heart" as the first single. 98.5 WGCL's WNCX General Manager Kim Colebrook and Program Directors, Bob Travis and Tom Jefferies, loved the song "Still In My Heart" and it became a top 10 record on the station.http://www.dennislewinmusic.com/Wiki2.htm Eventually CBS, Scotti Brothers Records released their music. Soon after that, USA WMMS took great interest in Beau Coup inviting them to participate in station events. (ISBN 978-1886228474)(ISBN 978-1886228474) The Beau Coup "Born and Raised on Rock and Roll" album, CD, and cassette were finally released on the Amherst label. The group reached the peak of their popularity nationally in the 1980s after the release of their album “Born and Raised on Rock and Roll". The song “Sweet Rachel” written by Lewin reached #80 on the “Billboard Hot 100” Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and received much radio and video play internationally. Other Lewin Songs including “Still in my Heart”,Still In My Heart Video “Somewhere Out in the Night” Somewhere Out In The Night release and “Born and Raised on Rock and Roll” Born and Raised on Rock and Roll Video were all picked by Billboard as “Hot Picks” http://www.dennislewinmusic.com/Wiki2.htm along with a video that was played on video shows in the US and abroad, including MTV and USA Video Hits.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM9Fo6VB6dI Beau Coup disbanded in the early 1990s.Rockdetector.comRock 'N' Roll and the Cleveland Connection, By Deanna R. Adams Rock and Roll Hall of Fame hosts tribute to late Plain Dealer rock critic Jane ScottJane Scott MemorialApplause For Jane Scott, Legendary Plain Dealer Music Critic, Remembered At Rock Hall Tribute, The Rolling Stones MusicClevescene RIP Jane ScottWashington, Julie. Dennis Lewin's classical-music radio show jumps stations "The Plain Dealer" July 30, 2008 at 3:57 PM, updated July 30, 2008 at 4:07 PMYaroborough, Chuck. Chuck Berry: One of the wild, original architects of rock -- 2012 American Music Masters "The Plain Dealer" October 21, 2012 at 6:00 AM, updated October 21, 2012 at 7:45 AM Beau Coup personnel * Tim Pierce – guitar * Paul Sidoti - guitar (The Raspberries) ((Taylor Swift)) * Don Krueger - drummer (The Eric Carmen Band), (The Euclid Beach Band) * Eric Singer - drummer (KISS (band)) Heaton, Michael. Kiss drummer Eric Singer: Heavy metal hometown hero "The Plain Dealer" September 12, 2012 at 6:00 AMKISS Drummer Eric Singer * Jimmy Clark - drummer (The All Sports Band) * Billy Sullivan – guitar (The Raspberries) (Gary Lewis and the Playboys) * Danny Powers – guitar * Mike McGill – guitar * John Franks - drummer * Steve Schufert – guitar * Rodney Psyka - percussionist and vocalist * Debi Lewin - vocalist Radio career “The Dennis Lewin Radio Program” WCLV FM 104.9 Ideastream Lorain - Cleveland "Turning You Onto Classical Music" which was heard first on A.M. 1300 WERE Cleveland, 1420 WHK A.M. Cleveland and 1070 KNTH A.M. Houston Texas is now heard on "F.M. 104.9 WCLV Ideastream" Lorain - Cleveland on Sunday afternoons from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM and on F.M. 103.5 WXGR" New Hampshire WXGR FM 103.5 New Hampshire on Sunday mornings from 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. and heard daily on Radio Arts Indonesia. During these programs Lewin discusses the lives and music of classical composers and musicians. References External links * Dennis Lewin Music Official Website * Beau Coup Official Website * WCLV 104.9 FM "The Dennis Lewin Radio Program" * WXGR 103.5 FM "The Dennis Lewin Radio Program" * Radio ArtsIndonesia "The Dennis Lewin Radio Program" [[Category:1959 births] Category:Radio personalities from Cleveland, Ohio Category:Musicians from Ohio Category:American singer-songwriters